“I made it quite clear, none of the other appointed boards are reimbursed,” Del Borrello said Wednesday night, adding the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, which organizes all Old Stone House Village events, was meeting in the next room and did not receive compensation. In fact, he said, they put money out of their own pocket for the Classic Car Show trophies.

The MUA commissioner stipends total less than $6,000 — $1,200 for the chairman, $1,000 for vice chairman, and $800 each for the other two members and two alternate members.

While new commissioners do not receive health benefits thanks to municipal reforms by Gov. Chris Christie, two board members and two alternates appointed prior to the new laws were grandfathered in and are still eligible to receive benefits or payments in lieu of. Retired MUA commissioners who were appointed to two or more terms, serving at least 10 years on the board, receive health benefits for life.

Republican Council Vice President Giancarlo D’Orazio, council liaison to the MUA, voted against Del Borrello’s ordinance revoking the stipends both times, saying that the MUA handles a multi-million dollar budget, recently saved ratepayers $100,000 in energy costs and they deserve to be rewarded.

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He compared their stipends to Deptford and Monroe’s MUAs — noting Deptford MUA commissioners meet just once a month and make more than $9,500 in total combined stipends — and Del Borrello should compare their MUA to other MUAs, not other township boards.

“Is this any way to reward people for doing the right thing?” D’Orazio said.

Del Borrello argued that other boards, such as zoning and planning, have to deal with much longer meetings and take much more heat from residents.

“Other boards go under way more scrutiny from the public,” Del Borrello said.

Members of the Washington Township Board of Fire Commissioners, who are elected, receive a small stipend. Board of Education members, also elected, do not. No appointed boards, besides the MUA, receive stipends.

Del Borrello took issue with D’Orazio’s statement that the total amount of the stipends was a “drop in the bucket” and doing away with them only equated to a savings of 10 cents a year for each ratepayer.

Before the council meeting adjourned, Del Borrello said he would be bringing his ordinance back up again, and hoped he could work out a compromise other council members could accept, such as revoking the stipends starting in future years or ending stipends only for new appointments.

With the public budget hearing set for next council meeting on June 12, D’Orazio countered they had more important things to worry about than the MUA stipends.